Hospital staff reports of coworker positive and unprofessional behaviours across eight hospitals: who reports what about whom?
Background Workplace behaviours of healthcare staff impact patient safety, staff well-being and organisational outcomes. A whole-of-hospital culture change programme, Ethos, was implemented by St. Vincent’s Health Australia across eight hospitals. Ethos includes a secure online submission system tha...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2023-11-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open Quality |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/12/4/e002413.full |
| _version_ | 1797366021467668480 |
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| author | Ling Li Johanna I Westbrook Erwin Loh Kate Churruca Rachel Urwin Antoinette Pavithra Ryan D McMullan Carolyn Moore |
| author_facet | Ling Li Johanna I Westbrook Erwin Loh Kate Churruca Rachel Urwin Antoinette Pavithra Ryan D McMullan Carolyn Moore |
| author_sort | Ling Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Workplace behaviours of healthcare staff impact patient safety, staff well-being and organisational outcomes. A whole-of-hospital culture change programme, Ethos, was implemented by St. Vincent’s Health Australia across eight hospitals. Ethos includes a secure online submission system that allows staff across all professional groups to report positive (Feedback for Recognition) and negative (Feedback for Reflection) coworker behaviours. We analysed these submissions to determine patterns and rates of submissions and identify the coworker behaviours reported.Method All Ethos submissions between 2017 and 2020 were deidentified and analysed. Submissions include structured data elements (eg, professional role of the reporter and subjects, event and report dates) and a narrative account of the event and coworker behaviours. Descriptive statistics were calculated to assess use and reporting patterns. Coding of the content of submissions was performed to classify types of reported coworker behaviours.Results There were a total of 2504 Ethos submissions, including 1194 (47.7%) Recognition and 1310 (52.3%) Reflection submissions. Use of the submission tool was highest among nurses (20.14 submissions/100 nursing staff) and lowest among non-clinical services staff (5.07/100 non-clinical services staff). Nurses were most frequently the subject of Recognition submissions (7.56/100 nurses) while management and administrative staff were the least (4.25/100 staff). Frequently reported positive coworker behaviours were non-technical skills (79.3%, N=947); values-driven behaviours (72.5%, N=866); and actions that enhanced patient care (51.3%, N=612). Medical staff were the most frequent subjects of Reflection submissions (12.59/100 medical staff), and non-clinical services staff the least (4.53/100 staff). Overall, the most frequently reported unprofessional behaviours were being rude (53.8%, N=705); humiliating or ridiculing others (26%, N=346); and ignoring others’ opinions (24.6%, N=322).Conclusion Hospital staff across all professional groups used the Ethos messaging system to report both positive and negative coworker behaviours. High rates of Recognition submissions demonstrate a strong desire of staff to reward and encourage positive workplace behaviours, highlighting the importance of culture change programmes which emphasise these behaviours. The unprofessional behaviours identified in submissions are consistent with behaviours previously reported in surveys of hospital staff, suggesting that submissions are a reliable indicator of staff experiences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:57:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-caaddc87276f47699b1588260b94fe3b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-6641 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:57:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open Quality |
| spelling | doaj.art-caaddc87276f47699b1588260b94fe3b2024-01-04T20:30:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Quality2399-66412023-11-0112410.1136/bmjoq-2023-002413Hospital staff reports of coworker positive and unprofessional behaviours across eight hospitals: who reports what about whom?Ling Li0Johanna I Westbrook1Erwin Loh2Kate Churruca3Rachel Urwin4Antoinette Pavithra5Ryan D McMullan6Carolyn Moore7Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Centre, Cochrane China Centre and MAGIC China Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaAustralian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaSt Vincent`s Health Australia Ltd Fitzroy, Fitzroy, Victoria, AustraliaAustralian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaAustralian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaAustralian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaAustralian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaSt Vincent`s Health Australia Ltd Fitzroy, Fitzroy, Victoria, AustraliaBackground Workplace behaviours of healthcare staff impact patient safety, staff well-being and organisational outcomes. A whole-of-hospital culture change programme, Ethos, was implemented by St. Vincent’s Health Australia across eight hospitals. Ethos includes a secure online submission system that allows staff across all professional groups to report positive (Feedback for Recognition) and negative (Feedback for Reflection) coworker behaviours. We analysed these submissions to determine patterns and rates of submissions and identify the coworker behaviours reported.Method All Ethos submissions between 2017 and 2020 were deidentified and analysed. Submissions include structured data elements (eg, professional role of the reporter and subjects, event and report dates) and a narrative account of the event and coworker behaviours. Descriptive statistics were calculated to assess use and reporting patterns. Coding of the content of submissions was performed to classify types of reported coworker behaviours.Results There were a total of 2504 Ethos submissions, including 1194 (47.7%) Recognition and 1310 (52.3%) Reflection submissions. Use of the submission tool was highest among nurses (20.14 submissions/100 nursing staff) and lowest among non-clinical services staff (5.07/100 non-clinical services staff). Nurses were most frequently the subject of Recognition submissions (7.56/100 nurses) while management and administrative staff were the least (4.25/100 staff). Frequently reported positive coworker behaviours were non-technical skills (79.3%, N=947); values-driven behaviours (72.5%, N=866); and actions that enhanced patient care (51.3%, N=612). Medical staff were the most frequent subjects of Reflection submissions (12.59/100 medical staff), and non-clinical services staff the least (4.53/100 staff). Overall, the most frequently reported unprofessional behaviours were being rude (53.8%, N=705); humiliating or ridiculing others (26%, N=346); and ignoring others’ opinions (24.6%, N=322).Conclusion Hospital staff across all professional groups used the Ethos messaging system to report both positive and negative coworker behaviours. High rates of Recognition submissions demonstrate a strong desire of staff to reward and encourage positive workplace behaviours, highlighting the importance of culture change programmes which emphasise these behaviours. The unprofessional behaviours identified in submissions are consistent with behaviours previously reported in surveys of hospital staff, suggesting that submissions are a reliable indicator of staff experiences.https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/12/4/e002413.full |
| spellingShingle | Ling Li Johanna I Westbrook Erwin Loh Kate Churruca Rachel Urwin Antoinette Pavithra Ryan D McMullan Carolyn Moore Hospital staff reports of coworker positive and unprofessional behaviours across eight hospitals: who reports what about whom? BMJ Open Quality |
| title | Hospital staff reports of coworker positive and unprofessional behaviours across eight hospitals: who reports what about whom? |
| title_full | Hospital staff reports of coworker positive and unprofessional behaviours across eight hospitals: who reports what about whom? |
| title_fullStr | Hospital staff reports of coworker positive and unprofessional behaviours across eight hospitals: who reports what about whom? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hospital staff reports of coworker positive and unprofessional behaviours across eight hospitals: who reports what about whom? |
| title_short | Hospital staff reports of coworker positive and unprofessional behaviours across eight hospitals: who reports what about whom? |
| title_sort | hospital staff reports of coworker positive and unprofessional behaviours across eight hospitals who reports what about whom |
| url | https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/12/4/e002413.full |
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